Monday, January 7, 2013

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

All Josh Bennett wants is to be left alone, and everyone allows it because they all know his story: each person he loved was taken from his life until at seventeen years old there was no one left. When your name is synonymous with death, people tend to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, a new girl in town who won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

My Mini Review:

I just had my heart ripped out, stomped on, shreded, blown up, disolved...but enjoyed every moment! What an amazing heart wrenching, beautiful, broken story. And what an amazing set of characters. All of them! Author Katja Millay did an outstanding job with this story. I will be first in line for any of her future books.

I HIGHLY recommend this one to all mature YA readers and adults alike.

I am totally emotionally drained from this one...but it was so worth it.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

As Grace recovers from tragedy, her science class is chosen by Agent Sweeney at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help with research on the new "Red Wolf Reintroduction Program".

While she’s excited about helping with the conservation of the endangered wolves, Grace knows this means being outdoors in the worst winter recorded, in a place she no longer feels comfortable. It also means working closely with Wyn (her ex) and his annoying girlfriend (Skyler), a girl whose idea of getting close to nature is picking silk plants and growing fake plants.

After a couple of wolves show up dead, Grace almost quits. However, when a fellow project team member goes missing, Grace continues the assignment under a renewed suspicion that someone might be sabotaging the conservation program. She quietly begins to hunt for clues.

Little does she know, she is being hunted too.

My Review:

Once again I was so thankful and thrilled when author S.R. Johannes added me to the list of Bloggers to receive an ebook ARC of Uncontrollable. You all know how much I loved the first book in this Trilogy and book two did not disappoint.

Once again Grace is such a refreshing main character. She is strong, smart, loyal, dedicated to what she believes in and pretty darn funny at times. She was put through the ringer in book one and still has a lot of healing to do. I love how Grace is still as strong as ever, but we do get to see her vulnerable side as well. One thing that I love about this story, is that Grace is also surrounded by loving supportive family and friends. Yes, perhaps there are many individuals in town who are not her biggest fans, but she does have great support. One of the biggest is her Grandmother, Birdee. Birdee is such a great addition to this story. She is one tough old 'Bird' and adds a lot of comical moments. Especially at the end where Birdee gives the thumbs up to a certain young man's bottom. :)

Okay we also have a 'love triangle' to deal with. However, for me this is not a typical or the usual annoying 'love triangle'. The reason for that is Grace. She is not an annoying girl that flip-flops on who she wants to be with. She knows what she wants and never wavers. However, she is one lucky girl to be surrounded by two very yummy boys.

One of the best aspects to these books is the backdrop of the Smokey Mountains and the wildlife. In this book we are given a taste of the plight of the Red Wolves and author Shelli Johannes has provided links and ways for readers to get involved if they so choose.

In the end, I recommend Uncontrollable to all YA and Adult readers who enjoy strong female characters, family bonds, the outdoors, mystery, action and of course some yummy boys thrown in for good measure. I for one, look forward to more in the Nature of Grace series and anything else Shelli decides to 'Grace' us with. :)

Monday, September 24, 2012

Uncontrollable is the second book in "The Nature of
Grace" series by S.R. Johannes. Untraceable, the first book in the
series, has won and been nominated for several awards including Winner of
the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Award (YA), 2012 Georgia
Author of the Year (YA Nominee), and a finalist in The Kindle
Book Review's "Best Indie Book of 2012 (YA)".

Kirkus reviewed Untraceable as
"A thrilling story is a dramatic
entanglement of mystery, deception and teen romance. The action flows
like a brisk mountain stream interspersed with rapids, holding suspense to last
page."

To continue on with the
blog tour, check out the line up! Where SR talks about anything from marketing to
writing to her books to personal interviews and giveaways.

Book
Summary

As
16-year-old Grace recovers from tragedy, her science class is chosen by Agent
Sweeney at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help with research on the
new "Red Wolf Reintroduction Program".

While
she’s excited about helping with the conservation of the endangered wolves,
Grace knows this means being outdoors in the worst winter recorded, in a place
she no longer feels comfortable. It also means working closely with Wyn (her
ex) and his annoying girlfriend (Skyler), a girl whose idea of getting close to
nature is picking silk plants and growing fake plants.

After a
couple of wolves show up dead, Grace almost quits. However, when a fellow
project team member goes missing, Grace continues the assignment under a
renewed suspicion that someone might be sabotaging the conservation program.
She quietly begins to hunt for clues.

S.R. Johannes is the author
of award-winning and Amazon bestselling Untraceable (a teen
wilderness thriller) and new tween paranormal, On The Bright Side.
She has also published short novelettes as well as a teen romance anthology
with 16 other authors titled, In His Eyes. Uncontrollable,
the sequel to Untraceable, is scheduled for September 2012.

After earning an MBA and
working in corporate America, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high
heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of
writing. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog,
British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and
princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

16-year-old Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival.

When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.

One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father.

Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

My Review:

I was lucky enough to receive an email from author S. R. Johannes asking if I would be interested in a free copy of her book Untraceable in exchange for an honest review. Well, of course I jumped at the opportunity. As I have read...and Loved...Shelli's other two books, On The Bright Side and Suffocate, I knew that I would enjoy Untraceable. Not only did I enjoy it? I loved it!! Shelli had me hooked from the beginning and I could not put this one down. First off I loved the storyline. I am a lover of the outdoors, camping and of course wild life, so that alone had me hooked. But these characters?

Grace is an amazing young women. She is strong, smart, funny and everything I like to see in a YA female character. But we also get to see that she is vulnerable too. She is put through an array of very tough and often horrific situations, that as an adult, I am not sure could withstand. I love Grace.

Then we have Mo. Yummy, yummy Mo. I must admit, that I was a bit worried that the relationship between Grace and Mo was going to be too quick, and forced like is often seen in a lot of YA books. However, it was not forced at all. These two were just made for each other. I was also worried that we were going to have to deal with an annoying love triangle between Grace, Mo and Wyn. But no. We got to see Grace's internal struggles, but it was not an in your face type of thing. And Wyn? Well, I must admit I am a fan of his as well. He's the perfect 'best friend' turned boyfriend.

I also love how each and every character had a part in this book. I know, I know. Of course they did. No really. This book would not have been what it was without each and every one of them. Including the river, the forest and the animals. Everything just came together and fit perfectly. This book really has it all. It is a mystery, coming of age, romance, suspense and adventure story all rolled into one amazing little package.

In the end? I would highly recommend Untraceable. Author S. R. Johannes is one of my new go to authors. I look forward to more in the Nature of Grace series and anything else she 'Graces' us with!!

Sunday, July 29, 2012

I am super excited to share with you all a cover reveal for my friend Darby Karchut's newest trilogy which is set to be released next spring! Me...and my 10yr old...are Super excited for this one. Love to know what you think?

Finn
Finnegan

Finn (not bleedin'
Finnegan) MacCullen is eager to begin his apprenticeship. He soon
discovers the ups and downs of hunting monsters in a suburban neighborhood under
the demanding tutelage of the Knight, Gideon Lir. Both master and apprentice are
descendents of the Tuatha De Danaan, a magical race of warriors from
Ireland. Scattered long ago
to the four corners of the world, the De Danaan wage a two thousand year old
clandestine battle with their ancient enemy, the Amandán, a breed of goblin-like
creatures.

Now with the beasts concentrating their attacks on Finn, he
and his master must race to locate the lost Spear of the Tuatha De Danaan, the
only weapon that can destroy the Amandán, all the while hiding his true identity
from his new friends, Rafe and Savannah, twins whose South African roots may
hold a key to Finn's survival. Armed with a bronze dagger, some ancient Celtic
magic, and a hair-trigger temper, Finn is about to show his enemies the true
meaning of "fighting Irish."

Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.

Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.

My Review:

When I was approached by author Ciye Cho to read and review the first book in his new series...well, I was prepared for a wild ride. One thing I learned from Ciye's first series? He has one wicked imagination! You know what? I was pleasantly surprised by this new series. I found myself totally immersed in his world of Mermaids and Mermen. The world of Niemela and these characters were so easy to adore.

Florence was not only believable, but likable too. And one thing I loved is that we see her grow a great deal throughout this story. Princess Yolee is the perfect little sister. Adorable! Loved her! Prince Kiren and Prince Rolan are the perfect balance between the good and evil, even if at times the lines are blurred on both sides. Author Ciye Cho did a great job of developing these characters and slowly introducing us to a budding romance...between who...I'll never tell. But I will say this? Rolan could definitely creep up to one of my top swoon worthy characters of all time...just saying.

Not only do we get an amazing visual of the world of Niemela, but there is action and danger at every turn. This is a YA series, but I would definitely recommend this one to middle grade readers too...of course Adults too! This is a perfect summer read for the beach. It's a fast easy read, filled with a fantastical world and illuminating lovable characters.

In the end, I highly recommend Florence to anyone looking for something a little different, something fun with just a hint of romance. I can not wait to see where book 2 takes Florence and the world of Niemela. Thank you Ciye Cho for a GREAT read!

Fans of the TV series ‘Heroes, the film ‘Push’, and the book ‘The Hunger Games’ will enjoy Into the Shadows, a modern and paranormal thriller. This is the first book in the Into the Shadows Trilogy.

Paivi Anderson has it all - friends, a spot on the varsity basketball team, wonderful parents, and quite possibly, her first boyfriend. It was everything a freshman in high school could ask for. Her perfect life begins to crumble when she discovers her name on a list distributed by a power-hungry presidential candidate. How could anyone think of Paivi as an Enemy of the State? Could it be because of her special powers? No one was supposed to know about them, but the mysterious messages in her tater tots say otherwise. In INTO THE SHADOWS, Paivi quickly learns who her friends are and is forced into a reality she didn’t see coming.

My Review:

When I was approached by author, Karly Kirkpatrick to read and review Into The Shadows, I knew right away that I had to give it a read. I was a HUGH Heroes fan and thought we need a book like that in the YA world. I will admit though, that I found myself a bit disappointed in the beginning. I found this book to be quite slow and sluggish to get into the nitty gritty of the story. Sadly, it took a good chunk of the book before that happened. Also, at times I found that the writing and dialog was more middle grade than YA...but perhaps that was just me.

The characters were more of the same for me. Some I was easily connected to and others not so much. I am not even really sure what it was. Perhaps it was more of a believability issue for me. Like Paivi's parents. They were loving parents yes, but at times it just seemed that they were like these weird 'pod' parents or something. And they talked down to their kids quite a bit. Actually now that I think about it, it was more of the author talking down to the reader. Yes, having life lessons embedded into the story is great, but talking to your readers like they are your 7 or 8 year old children? Doesn't work. Also, some of the dialog between some of these characters just was not believeable. This is not how teenagers talk to eachother.

So did I enjoy it at all? Yes. The last 4 or 5 chapters were awesome! And on a whole, the story really is original and exciting. I was excited to see how this book would end and really do want to continue this series and see where these characters and this society go from here. I truly hope that author, Karly Kirkpatrick can continue on this road for the remainder of this series. I feel it could end up to be a truly great one!

In the end, I do recommend it, just be prepared for a slow read up until the last quarter.